Measles outbreak reminds us that it’s a small world after all

February 14, 2015 1:37 AM

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Within weeks, the measles outbreak that started in Disneyland last December spread to over 120 people in 17 states. It’s a reminder of the power of infectious diseases to jump from person to person, school to school and state to state. In our super-connected world, diseases like measles don’t need much of an opening to flourish and do real damage.

That’s a lesson that many people seem to have forgotten. By removing the starkest reminders of how serious these vaccine-preventable diseases can be, vaccinations have become victims of their own success. Parents in California and elsewhere have decided that vaccinating their children is an optional...